CrunchBang Linux 9.04

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CrunchBang Linux is an Ubuntu based distribution featuring the lightweight Openbox window manager and GTK+ applications. The distribution has been built and customised from a minimal Ubuntu install. The distribution has been designed to offer a good balance of speed and functionality. CrunchBang is available as a Live CD o you can try before you install, then you simply run the installer from the live CD to put it on your hard drive for a permanent, and faster, setup.

CrunchBang is built almost entirely (there are a few specialised exceptions) from Ubuntu packages, so anything you can install on or do with Ubuntu, you can do with CrunchBang. "So why use CrunchBang?" I hear you asking. The reason is that it is set up to use the faster, but still configurable, Openbox window manager by default. If you wanted to do this with Ubuntu you would have to install Openbox, remove GNOME (which is harder to do that type) and then set up Openbox for a good but fast desktop experience. Basically, the good people at CrunchBang have done all the hard work for you... oh, and it isn't brown!

CrunchBang still comes with a complete selection of software. In fact, the more compact Openbox software, compared with GNOME, means there is room for more supplementary software on the CrunchBang CD, or you can use the smaller "Lite Edition" . CrunchBang also comes with the software and codec needed to play MP3s, DVDs and Flash animations or web pages by default. Although it is not primarily designed for netbooks, as it sports a more orthodox desktop arrangement, CrunchBang has proved popular with netbook owners because it performs so well on the more limited hardware of these devices.

Verdict

Definitely worth trying out if you have slower hardware or are a speed freak.